New Year gift: Gas tariff increased by 18 percent

ISLAMABAD: The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has notified across-the-board 18 per cent increase in prices of natural gas, says a notification issued late Thursday night.

The price increase is applicable for all categories of consumers — domestic, industrial, commercial, CNG stations, power stations, cement factories, fertilizer fuel, independent power producers and captive power. The increase is effective from today, January 1, 2010.

According to the notification, the said prices have been increased mainly due to the increase in international prices of fuel and crude oil.

According to the notification, the increase will yield an additional revenue of about Rs21 billion to the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and Rs11 billion to the Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) during the current fiscal year.

The increase in the tariff was earlier approved by Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani.

The average sale rate for all consumers of natural gas, bought either from SSGC or SNGPL, has been increased by 18 per cent to ensure uniform gas tariff across the country.

According to the notification, gas rates for the lowest slab (50 cubic metres per month) of domestic consumers have gone up from Rs80.65 to Rs95.01 per mmbtu and that of the second slab (50-100 cubic metres) from Rs84.45 to Rs99.48.

Likewise, rates for the third slab (100-200 cubic metres) have been increased from Rs153.73 to Rs181.10 per unit and that of the fourth slab (200-300 cubic metres) from Rs325.48 to Rs383.42.

Gas rates for fifth slab (300-400 cubic metres) have been increased from Rs423.42 to Rs498.80 per unit, followed by the sixth slab (400-500 per cubic metres) from Rs550.44 to Rs648.43 per unit and the last slab (over 500 cubic metres) from Rs730.17 to Rs860.15.

Rates for non-profit consumers like places of worship, educational institutions and armed forces’ mess, along with tandoors have been increased equal to the first four slabs of domestic consumers.

Gas rates for commercial consumers and ice factories have gone up from Rs393.48 to Rs463.76 per unit.

Rates for industrial consumers and fuel for fertiliser factories have been increased from Rs324.30 to Rs382.37 per unit. Rates for CNG stations have been increased from Rs427.15 to Rs503.64 per unit.

Rates for Wapda’s power stations have gone up from Rs333.98 to Rs394 per unit. Gas tariff for independent power producers (IPPs) has gone up from Rs282.88 to Rs332.36 and that of captive power plants (CPPs) from Rs324.30 to Rs382.37.

According to the notification, CNG rates for the Potohar region have been increased from Rs49.73 per kg to Rs55.30 per kg and those for Sindh and Punjab from Rs48.54 per kg to Rs53.63 per kg.